Published on June 5th, 2020 | by Amelia Taylor

Tips to Boost Your Focus and Productivity While Remote Working

With the advent of technology, working from home has become easy and a great luxury for both employees and employers. Companies are offering remote work options for a wide range of reasons like lesser commuting time, improved employee retention, lower overhead, and the recent safety aspect of social distancing.

While it may appear to some that remote working is a fast way to finish your tasks, the statistics seem to show otherwise. More and more folks working from home are complaining of very low productivity, which is often due to the constant distractions they experience while at home. There are also other sets of challenges that are associated with remote working.

How to tackle this productivity issue, especially when working from home, may very well be the new norm shortly?

It turns out there are some wonderful tactics that can boost the productivity of people who work remotely and also help them remain super-focused in the tasks. Let us look at those tips one by one.

Create a To-Do List

Without creating definite goals for the day, you can neither be productive nor you can finish the work on time. Work-from-home can be a great challenge if you are not sure of the tasks you are going to do. It is hence essential to create a to-do-list that can keep you focused on the work despite all the hurdles you are going to face.

A great time to create the list would be before bed-time as you can head to your goals straight the very next day. You can also try breaking down the tasks to finish all the work of the day without any hassle.

Start Working Early

Getting started with your work early is one of the best ways to be productive while remote working. This is because you will experience distractions as the day progresses and the morning sluggishness will rob your motivation to work. The more you postpone your work, the more will be the overall burden.

If you can develop the habit of going to your to-do list as fast as you can, you will be finishing all the tasks way early you can imagine. Just make sure that you don’t give in to the small distractions before starting your work

Declutter Your Workspace

If your workspace is messy, then you will be busy doing things that are not in any way related to your work, especially if there are pieces of stuff that remind you of your house-hold work. So it is evident that your productivity will take a hit.

Whenever you plan for work from home, aim for a clutter-free zone workspace. Get rid of all the unwanted papers from the desk and make sure there are no gadgets(other than your cell phone) around. It will help you to remain aligned with your work and finish every task quickly.

Turn Off Notifications

The endless pinging notifications that pop on your smartphones not just reduce your work productivity, but also cause tremendous stress. Giving in to these notifications makes you switch tasks repeatedly, causing a decline in concentration. Some studies reveal multitasking affects work productivity with a margin of a whopping 40%.

It is suggested that you mute every notification, which is not associated with work. You can create a different time slot to view the extra stuff that will also serve as a good break. Today there are several built-in apps available in smartphones that block then notification you desire.

Turn on the Lights

Natural light can be refreshing, but it can cause those terrible glares on your computer screen. If the windows of your house do not make you distracted, then it is excellent. But if it’s hampering your focus, then pull the curtains and turn on your lights.

You can use the energy-efficient lights that work in your favour by providing the lighting you need for optimal work. Having proper work-ambiance goes a long way in boosting productivity, as you are doing almost 7-8 hours at home.

Watch Your Addictions

If you let your addictions take over you while working from home, you may be inviting big trouble. The comfort of home and a lack of vigilance by others can only aggravate the bad habits. This is why self-discipline by the individual himself counts big.

Constantly checking the smartphones while working is the new compulsive behaviour of many working professionals. This can be a cause of great stress as the only thing it does is the delay in your work. As mentioned earlier, the smartphone apps that mute the notifications can go a long way in keeping you focussed. Smoking is another addiction experienced by many, as it is often counted as a refreshment. Many people are quitting cigarettes and trying vaping as the latter effectively avoids tobacco, a highly hooking substance.

A little self-discipline, coupled with a strong will, can help you overcome your addictions very quickly.

Take Breaks

Breaks are essential for staying physically and mentally fresh and also for avoiding the risk of burnouts. Broader level of research has also shown that workers who take regular breaks are more satisfied with their job and are less likely to seek jobs elsewhere. It reveals how important this topic really is.

While you are working from home, you count your laundry work and dish-washing as a part of a break from work. Please do not sit in front of the television as it can defeat the whole purpose of a break, leaving you zoned out to do any work that is left.

All in all,

Work from home can be fun if you are in the right frame of mindset while working. Slogging hours and hours without taking care of the mind and body can only affect your work in the future. These tips and strategies can help rethink the way you are working from home now to achieve superb work-productivity, without putting your health on the line.

Tags: boost, focus, productivity, remote working, tips

About the Author

Amelia Taylor is a Health & Lifestyle writer. Loves to write about healthy lifestyle practices, also has published blogs and articles for various publications. She seeks to impart knowledge through her articles by making people aware about important aspects of life.